This invention relates to concrete blocks used for constructing readily and inexpensively a firm retaining wall structure available for the creation of bulkheads, in road or river construction or the preparation of housing sites.
Conventionally, retaining wall structures for the above purposes were mainly constructed by the "support method". However, the utilization of concrete blocks is considered not suitable for constructing the retaining wall in such method since the wall must withstand earthquakes, vibration or flood disaster while maintaining an almost upright or vertical front wall surface relative to the ground. Therefore, in general, at least the major part of the retaining wall has been constructed by an integral one-plate concrete structure, thus necessitating a costly construction.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide L-shaped concrete blocks which can construct a retaining wall structure which can be firmly united with the created land, and thereby can sufficiently withstand earthquakes or flood disaster.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for efficiently constructing a retaining wall structure by such L-shaped concrete blocks.
In summary, the present invention discloses an L-shaped concrete block comprising a vertical front wall portion consisting of a rectangular plate, the front wall having at least one vertical elongated hole through which at least one reinforcing bar passes, a vertical rear retaining portion extending rearwardly and perpendicularly from the front wall portion, the rear retaining portion having the proximal end thereof integrally connected to the rear surface of the front wall portion at a position approximately one fourth from one end of the front wall portion, and a vertical gnarl-like uniting portion integrally formed at the distal end of the rear retaining portion, the gnarl-like uniting portion being provided with a vertical elongated hole through which a reinforcing bar passes.
The present invention also discloses a method for constructing a retaining wall by a plurality of L-shaped concrete blocks, comprising preparing a plurality of the L-shaped concrete blocks, each L-shaped concrete block comprising (i) a vertical front wall portion consisting of a rectangular plate, the front wall being provided with at least one vertical elongated hole through which a reinforcing bar passes, (ii) a vertical rear retaining portion extending rearwardly and perpendicularly from the front wall portion, the rear retaining portion, having the proximal end thereof integrally connected to the rear surface of the front wall portion at a position approximately one fourth from one side of the front wall portion, and (iii) a vertical gnarl-like uniting portion integrally formed at the distal end of the rear retaining portion, the gnarl-like uniting portion being provided with a vertical elongated hole through which a reinforcing bar passes, mounting a plurality of the vertical reinforcing bars firmly and at a predetermined pitch on a concrete foundation, arranging and stacking several rows of the L-shaped concrete blocks on the foundation by making the reinforcing bars pass through the vertical elongated holes of the L-shaped concrete blocks, the stacking being in a staggered pattern while alternately reversing the sides of the front wall portions of the L-shaped concrete blocks row after row, thus defining a vertical square space between each two vertical rear retaining portions, and filling the land-creating soil into the vertical square space and solidifying the soil after the filling.